Foundations of Applied Agronomy - Soil and Water Management

Foundations of Applied Agronomy was developed by the American Society of Agronomy to prepare learners for the International Certified Crop Adviser (ICCA) Exam and to build the expertise of persons in production agriculture, consulting, business, and conservation. The series provides a comprehensive online learning experience that covers topics in nutrient management, soil and water management, pest management, and crop management. In-field practitioners will review the knowledge and skills that are most needed by a Certified Crop Adviser (CCA), while others will obtain a foundational knowledge in topics relevant to the agricultural profession.

This section covers Soil and Water Management (5 CEUs).

The Soil and Water Management sections contains five modules: Basic Soil Properties; Site Characterization; Residue and Tillage Management and Soil Erosion; Restrictive Soil Layers, Soil Management Effects on Air Quality, and Water Quality; Soil-Plant and Water Relations, Water and Solute Movement, and Irrigation and Drainage.
 

• Basic Soil Properties: (1) Soil components; (2) Soil texture; (3) Soil structure; (4) Bulk density; (5) Soil organic matter; and (6) Cation and anion exchange
• Site Characterization: (1) Soil horizons; (2) Soil drainage; (3) Parent materials; (4) Field calculations; (5) Soil surveys; and (6) Land use / land management
• Residue and Tillage Management and Soil Erosion: (1) Surface residue, soil tillage, and categories of residues; (2) Measuring residue cover; (3) Biomass removal and impact of residue cover on soil health; (4) Processes and types of erosion by water and wind; (5) Concept of soil loss tolerance; (6) Effects of soil erosion on agriculture; (7) Ways to decrease soil erosion; and (8) Calculations to estimate tillage intensity and soil erosion
• Restrictive Soil Layers, Soil Management Effects on Air Quality, and Water Quality: (1) Characteristics, prevention, and alleviation of restrictive soil layers; (2) Impacts on plant growth and movement of water, air, and nutrients; (3) Transport of pesticides, pathogens, and sediment; (4) Water quality standards, eutrophication, hypoxia, and anoxia; (5) Units of ppm, mg/l, and meq/l for reporting test analyses; (6) Health risks posed by contaminated drinking water; and (7) Salinity and sodicity on crop productivity and water quality
• Soil-Plant and Water Relations, Water and Solute Movement, and Irrigation and Drainage: (1) Saturation, field capacity, permanent wilting point, gravitational water, plant available water; (2) Evapotranspiration and soil moisture dynamics; (3) Plant nutrient uptake, availability, and transport pathways; (4) Relationships among precipitation, runoff, infiltration, and leaching; (5) Preferential/macropore flow and lateral flow; (6) Advantages and disadvantages of irrigation and drainage methods; (7) Using soil moisture and the water balance to schedule irrigation; and (8) Strategies to reduce irrigation runoff and plan tile drain spacing
• Each module contains a link to an online learning course with an accompanying quiz. You must complete all portions to receive credit.
  
  Price:
  $150.00 Non-members/Members/Certified Professionals
  
  You will have access to this training for 180 days.